Once I enter the pass, great Confucian scholars will surely debate the classics for me.

Yaochi Manor covers a vast area, and the once lush green lawn is now covered with a thick white coat, like a flawless white velvet carpet, stretching into the distance and reflecting the blue sky.

Although most of the flowers in the flower beds on both sides have withered, evergreen plants such as holly and pine still stand tall, adding a touch of life to this silver-clad world; occasionally, a few tenacious winter plum blossoms can be seen, blooming proudly in the snow, emitting a faint fragrance that makes people feel refreshed.

As you walk along the stone path adorned with snowflakes, several exquisite pavilions stand out; their roofs are covered with a thin layer of snow, like cottages from a fairy tale.

Not far away, a clear stream meanders by. Even in the cold winter, the water is not completely frozen and gently laps against the riverbank, making a pleasant sound.

At the heart of the manor is a magnificent complex of buildings, with the main building surrounded by several auxiliary buildings, each with a different function, providing a full range of leisure and entertainment options to meet the diverse needs of the owner and his guests.

The roofs of these buildings are covered with snow, but the interiors are warm and cozy. The buildings are connected by beautiful corridors, ensuring unimpeded access even on rainy or snowy days.

Zhou Qingfeng, dressed in a black and gold fur coat, strolled leisurely through the manor under the protection of a group of guards, admiring the scenery and objects. Xi Hongchen was responsible for introducing and explaining things to him, speaking softly and speaking with a humble yet dignified demeanor, exuding a unique charm.

Upon arriving at a pavilion in the middle of a lake, Xi Hongchen knelt down to brew tea and burn incense for Zhou Qingfeng. Her every move was very elegant, but there was a hint of allure in her elegance. Her seemingly normal behavior actually concealed a lot of cunning. Every movement revealed her graceful figure, arousing men's hearts and primal desires.

Zhou Qingfeng sat half-reclined on the chair, one foot on the seat, exuding a lazy yet dashing air. His every move carried an innate nobility. A smile played on his lips as he quietly watched the performance of Xi Hongchen.

"Young Master, please enjoy the black tea I have prepared." Xi Hongchen gazed at Zhou Qingfeng with tender affection, skillfully washing the tea leaves, pouring water, steeping, and serving the tea. Every movement was precise, fluid, and artistic.

Zhou Qingfeng casually took the teacup, looked at the black tea in it, raised his hand and brought it to Xi Hongchen's lips, smiling as he gestured for Xi Hongchen to try it first. Upon seeing this, Xi Hongchen blushed slightly, and rather shyly parted her red lips to gently bite the rim of the cup, slowly bringing the tea into her mouth as Zhou Qingfeng pushed it.

Zhou Qingfeng held the teacup, staring at her chin: "Swallow it."

Xi Hongchen's delicate swan-like neck twitched slightly, and the tea in her mouth slid down her throat: "Glug..."

Zhou Qingfeng gazed silently at Xi Hongchen, tossed his teacup to the ground, and stared intently at her. Faced with Zhou Qingfeng's intense scrutiny, Xi Hongchen was at a loss, biting her red lips and lowering her head, her cheeks flushed. Her fingers twirled the hem of her skirt, and her affectionate eyes kept stealing glances at Zhou Qingfeng.

"Hmm, it seems there's nothing wrong." Zhou Qingfeng tossed aside his teacup and withdrew his scrutinizing gaze. After all, this woman was working for Zhai Xingyuan, and now she was making tea for him. What if she had tampered with the tea?

Xi Hongchen was speechless. Her performance was so convincing and perfect in every way, yet the other party was unmoved and even suspected that she was trying to harm him. It was truly... unexpectedly charming.

Zhou Qingfeng leaned back on the armrest of his chair and looked at the snow scene outside the pavilion: "Miss Xi, the reason I came to Yaochi Manor in person this time is to see how to deal with this asset. Should we sell the manor or keep it for our own use? I haven't decided yet. Why don't you give me a reason, Miss Xi?"

This manor was stolen property, bestowed upon Zhou Qingfeng by the city lord's manor. Everyone in the manor was a slave, including the manor owner, Xi Hongchen, who was in charge of managing it. Now, it all belongs to Zhou Qingfeng personally.

If the manor is sold off, what will become of the hundreds of slave monks within it? It remains to be seen.

The old backer has fallen, and Xi Hongchen must find a new one. The new backer who has taken over Yaochi Manor is very powerful. If he can attach himself to him, that would be great.

Upon hearing this, Xi Hongchen bowed slightly and smiled, "Young Master, I can give you many reasons."

Zhou Qingfeng nodded with a smile and gestured, "Come on, show me."

Upon hearing this, Xi Hongchen put one hand behind his back and spoke eloquently in front of Zhou Qingfeng, his demeanor very proper, displaying a confident charm: "Firstly, we are both excellent dual cultivation vessels."

"The hundreds of slave cultivators in the manor have been practicing the dual cultivation method since childhood. Although they do not know how to fight, they are all excellent dual cultivation vessels that can help people quickly improve their cultivation speed."

Zhou Qingfeng raised an eyebrow slightly: "How much better?"

Xi Hongchen smiled and said, "It's a long story, let me tell you slowly."

Zhou Qingfeng tapped his knee and listened attentively to Xi Hongchen's explanation.

These slave cultivators were all carefully selected as excellent cultivation vessels. Regardless of gender, they did not cultivate magic or supernatural powers, but only cultivated their magical power. Once they had cultivated enough magical power, they would leap to higher realms and then be used by high-ranking officials and nobles for sexual enhancement.

Aside from basic magical manipulation and dual cultivation techniques, they knew nothing about any other combat methods.

The so-called dual cultivation is simply about taking advantage of weaknesses to strengthen oneself.

The cauldron's mana is replenished, thereby rapidly increasing one's own mana.

If the man absorbs all the magical power of the furnace during the act of sexual intercourse, his magical power will increase explosively. The furnace will either lose all its magical power and its realm will fall, or it will be drained into a dried-up body and become a mortal, slowly dying in agony.

For example, a cauldron in the Food Demon Realm has 100,000 coins' worth of magical power within its body.

Even a basic level 3 BL technique can result in up to 60% loss during the BL process.

A high-level, excellent sexual enhancement technique can keep losses to around 30%.

The top 100 best techniques for absorbing and replenishing essence can generally keep losses to within 10%.

By using top-tier cultivation techniques to drain the life force of four to five Fiend Realm furnaces, one can quickly reach the peak of the Fiend Realm, possessing the basic conditions for leaping to a higher realm, saving ordinary cultivators hundreds of years of cultivation time.

The problem is that cultivating a cauldron in the Food Demon Realm is not so easy. It usually takes decades or even hundreds of years and a lot of resources to cultivate a mature and excellent cauldron, which is very costly.

Zhai Xingyuan cultivated a large number of alchemical furnaces at Yaochi Manor to supply high-ranking officials and nobles with their tonics. The officials and nobles would take a fancy to a particular alchemical furnace and slowly raise it for their enjoyment. Once the alchemical furnace was fully developed, they would drain it dry during sexual intercourse.

Of course, this is a short-sighted method of sexual enhancement; there are also methods that involve a gradual and sustainable approach.

That is the magical power cultivated by the furnace and cauldron every day, which is then supplied to the strong for absorption.

This method does not harm the life or foundation of the furnace cauldron; it only causes the mana to stagnate during the period of being replenished. Once the stronger individual reaches a higher level, there will be no need to continue replenishing the lower-level furnace cauldron.

The furnace and cauldron were one of the important reasons that attracted countless high-ranking officials and nobles to come here for a long time.

Currently, among the hundreds of slave cultivators in Yaochi Manor, there are not a single Poison-Eating Realm furnace cauldron, nor a single Fiend-Eating Realm furnace cauldron. Only a few hundred Calamity-Eating Realm furnace cauldrons remain. Xi Hongchen is the only peak Fiend-Eating Realm cultivator, but she is not a furnace cauldron. Instead, she is Zhai Xingyuan's agent, specifically responsible for managing and cultivating furnace cauldrons for him.

As for why there are no Poison-level or Fiend-level furnace cauldrons in Yaochi Manor, it's because after the Luo Family Gang was defeated in their first direct confrontation with Zhou Qingfeng, the high-ranking officials and nobles cut ties in advance, stopped coming to Yaochi Manor altogether, and took away all the furnace cauldrons they were designated to cultivate. Most of the remaining furnace cauldrons are still in the cultivation period.

Xi Hongchen smiled slightly: "Young Master, you only need to wait patiently for 20 years, and a batch of Fiend-level furnaces will be born. At that time, they will be able to help you quickly climb to the peak of the Fiend-Eating Realm. Even if you don't need them for the time being, they will still have other uses."

Zhou Qingfeng said casually, "Oh? What's it for?"

Xi Hongchen stood up with a laugh and said, "These furnaces are all of excellent appearance, with different figures and temperaments. They know how to please people and are the perfect lovers in bed. Moreover, each of them is well-versed in history, knowledgeable in ancient and modern times, and proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry and couplets. Their knowledge can be described as that of talented men and women."

"They are your strongest weapons. If you want to use your beauty to seduce any powerful person, they can help you win their favor and slowly control them, making them completely at your disposal."

Zhou Qingfeng narrowed his eyes: "Using a beauty trap to hunt down powerful and influential people, that's truly a clever tactic."

Xi Hongchen covered her mouth and chuckled: "The beauty trap is not something to be used casually. When we use the beauty trap, we study the lifestyle of the powerful and wealthy, understand their interests and hobbies, and secretly find what the target cannot obtain in their youth, such as their first love. We play the role of the first love to hunt down the powerful and wealthy, and ten out of ten fall for it. There is no way to stop it."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng immediately looked at Xi Hongchen with newfound respect: "You do have a skill. Did Zhai Xingyuan teach you?"

Xi Hongchen smiled and said, "No, young master, this is just some of my experience in hunting down powerful people. If I didn't have some skills, why would Zhai Xingyuan choose me as his agent?"

Zhou Qingfeng pointed at Xi Hongchen: "You're a talented person, but you're wasting your talent staying here."

Xi Hongchen smiled and bowed, her manners impeccable: "Thank you for your praise, Young Master. I am truly honored. Young Master, would you like me to continue? Besides helping you hunt down powerful figures and assisting your cultivation in the future, we also have other uses."

Zhou Qingfeng's lips curled slightly, and he gestured, "Miss Xi, don't stand there, sit down, have some tea, and let's talk slowly."

"Thank you, young master." Xi Hongchen knelt before the tea table, exuding confident charm with every gesture. He poured himself a cup of tea, took a slow sip, and then continued his eloquent speech: "We can also make money for you."

Zhou Qingfeng smiled and asked, "How do you make money?"

Xi Hongchen held the teacup in both hands and elegantly blew on the scalding hot black tea: "The manor has trained a group of professional dealers to serve high-ranking officials, celebrities, and wealthy businessmen who come to gamble for thrills. Their bets are very high."

“Our manor receives a large amount of money and treasures every day. We don’t have to pay gambling tax. It’s a sure thing, and no one dares to investigate. All this money will eventually pass through my hands and flow into your hands without anyone knowing.”

Zhou Qingfeng shook his head and said, "I don't do anything illegal or criminal. I'm a law-abiding citizen, and I don't care about money. Money is too vulgar. I haven't touched money for many years."

"Speaking of which, I still have fond memories. I vaguely remember when I first entered the city lord's mansion as a slave, standing like a lackey, and it was the first time in my life that I touched money. A mere eight hundred magic coins made me excited all night. Can you understand that feeling?"

Xi Hongchen paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "I understand, young master. You have transcended the lowly pursuit of making money. Your ambitions are far greater; you want to accomplish something great."

Zhou Qingfeng nodded slightly, praising without reservation: "Yes, Miss Xi, you are my confidante!"

Xi Hongchen, holding a cup of tea, smiled and said, "I dare not call myself your confidante. I believe that you, young master, will be able to achieve your goals and I am willing to help you accomplish great things, even if I am just an insignificant pawn."

Having seen all sorts of men in the world, she knows what to say to each type of man.

For a man like Zhou Qingfeng, money and sex have lost their appeal.

So what else can pique a man's interest? Nothing more than achieving great things. For a man focused on his career, playing the role of a confidante or soulmate is more appropriate.

"Please continue, Miss Xi. I'm curious to see what other surprises you can bring me." Zhou Qingfeng pointed admiringly at Xi Hongchen, then turned his head to look at the snow scene outside the pavilion with a smile in his eyes, his heart completely unmoved.

Xi Hongchen is indeed a talented person, but that's all he is. The term "confidante" is merely a way to praise and win over Xi Hongchen; it's just a charade. Anyone who takes it seriously is a fool.

Zhou Qingfeng is single-mindedly pursuing power and strength.

Love is a stumbling block; it will only slow him down his climb to the top.

He will never be trapped by love, not even the slightest spark of romance.

Then they would kill the other person without hesitation to avoid falling into a love trap.

Xi Hongchen smiled and said, "Young Master, I can also gather intelligence for you and build up a wealth of connections. When opportunities arise, I will act as a go-between for people and charge a small referral fee. These furnace cauldrons have been trained since childhood and know very well how to please people. They are perfectly capable of accompanying high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants and celebrities to seek pleasure."

"I can also help you launder all your ill-gotten gains. For example, I can find a wealthy merchant who deals in grain and sign a transaction contract in my own name. The ill-gotten gains from gambling will go through the grain merchant's accounts. After paying 10% grain tax, the money will be laundered and deposited into the Python Sparrow Money Shop, where you can withdraw it at will."

"I know you are not interested in money, but you need to support so many people and do a great business, which requires money. My abilities are limited, and I just want to do my best to help you. Based on the gambling profits of previous years, I can only help you earn a maximum of 300 million coins a year. It is a little less, but please don't mind."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Qingfeng was surprised but remained outwardly calm. He slowly sat up straight, walked to Xi Hongchen, and scrutinized her closely. Xi Hongchen knelt down, smiling silently, allowing Zhou Qingfeng to examine her. In fact, to make Zhou Qingfeng's examination clearer, she deliberately puffed out her chest, tucked in her stomach, and lifted her buttocks to accentuate her graceful figure.

Looking at her, Zhou Qingfeng suddenly understood why Zhai Xingyuan chose her as his agent. Women who are good at making money, cultivating talent, collecting intelligence, and hunting down powerful figures are extremely rare and are definitely top-notch talents.

"Do you know how to fight?" Zhou Qingfeng asked.

Xi Hongchen smiled slightly: "Young Master, I am good at fighting, and I am very good at it. Let me tell you a secret, I collected all the materials to advance to the Poisonous Eater Realm ten years ago. I am fully capable of advancing, but I dare not."

Zhou Qingfeng said, "Why?"

Xi Hongchen, holding a cup of tea, chuckled lightly: "Because it's safe for me to stay in the Devouring Fiend Realm. That way, I won't be used as a poisonous furnace by high-ranking officials and nobles to drain my life. Once I reach the Devouring Poison Realm, I will be targeted by certain powerful figures. In order to win over those people, Zhai Xingyuan will definitely offer me up in exchange for benefits. I can only try to protect myself in the cracks."

Zhou Qingfeng said, "Then tell me why. Aren't you afraid I'll use you as a vessel for sexual intercourse right now?"

Xi Hongchen looked up at Zhou Qingfeng and smiled confidently: "Young Master is a man who is destined for great things. How could your vision be so short-sighted? Compared to a mature Sha-level furnace, you need me to help you achieve your great goals."

Zhou Qingfeng stood with his hands behind his back, looking down into her eyes. A smile played on his lips as he flicked Xi Hongchen's forehead with his finger. "What a vixen! She's won my heart. Work for me from now on."

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